The glasses called “chameleons” or “photochromic,” having the property of changing their transparence/translucence smoothly under the influence of the solar radiation, are well known. Their drawback is their sluggishness (i.e. the slow course of the process) and their uncontrollability on the part of the user.
“The Transmitted Light Intensity Controllable Window” (Application EP0709712, published 1 May 1996, in Bulletin 1996/18) and the method of transparence (or translucence) control used therein is known in the art. Therein the property of originally transparent liquid crystalline polymer to reorientate and instantly (or quickly enough) become opaque under the application of electric potential is used. However, the said device and the method used therein provide only for switching the item from transparent to opaque without permitting translucence regulation over a range.
“The Electrically Controllable Optical Element” (United Kingdom Patent GB845053, published 17 Aug. 1960) and the method of transparence (or translucence) regulation and control used therein is known in the art. The said element contains several layers with controllable switching from transparent to opaque, positioned against each other and each consisting of a glass, a current conductor film and an optical filter.
Transparence/translucence can be regulated by means of application of electrical potential to the layers by turns and their switching. However this regulation is not smooth. The said method and device provide only for several gradations of transparence/translucence.
From the viewpoint of technical essence and achieved result, the most similar to the present inventions is the “Protection Device from Solar Radiation” (Author's Certificate of the USSR No. 666267, published 5 Jun. 1979, in Bulletin No 21) and the transparence/translucence regulation method embodied therein, chosen as a prototype.
The prototype contains glazing made of two rows of glasses, transparent current conductor coatings (films), a layer of liquid crystal, adjoining to the current conductor films and filling in the gap between the glasses and a power supply source. To achieve at least several gradations of translucence, i.e. several values of the quantity of light passing through all glazing, the method of dimming-out of some sections out of the whole glazing area is used in the said device. With this aim, the glazing is divided into several sections wherein electrical potential is applied separately and can be switched optionally, or several sections can be switched on together. Thereby, regulation of light having passed through all glazing is achieved, while by means of a toggle switch, for example, an upper or lower side screen of a window can be dimmed out instantly (in a second), or several dimmed out and light sections can be combined, or the glazing can be dimmed out completely by dimming out all sections. Herein each section has only two positions of translucence—transparent and opaque. Glazing translucence and quantity of incoming light is controlled by a user by switching and combining of the position of the toggle switch of the power supply source connected to the glazing and the power supply source.
The drawbacks of the prototype are low operating characteristics, caused by impossibility of smooth or almost smooth, i.e. fine stepped (for example, meander, imperceptible for visual apprehension) regulation of glazing translucence and incoming light, while transparence of glazing, precisely of its separate sections, is not regulated at all. It is also a drawback that, for example, if a user wants to make what is happening indoors or in a car body invisible from the outside so that to have enough daylight, he will have either to dim out all glazing sections thus darkening completely and blocking incoming light, or not to dim out some glazing sections, then therefrom an interior or a car body will be seen all the same. Inconvenience and complexity of translucence control and impossibility of transparence control over the property range of an applied liquid crystalline material from maximum transparent to maximum opaque is also a drawback. This inconvenience is especially undesirable if such glazing is applied to cars, because the necessity to make complex procedures to achieve desirable transparence and car body illumination will prevent a driver from running a car. It is also a drawback that the method and the construction don't envisage possibility of remote regulation and control and autonomous power supply. This drawback is especially a problem when such glazing or oilcloth is applied to buildings, particularly to large ones.